Title: Slip-up
Author: Nightchild78
Characters: Anthony DiNozzo, Leroy Jethro Gibbs
Prompt/Challenge: ncis_drabble#475 "Missing"
Rating: G
Word Count: 476
Warning/Spoilers: 1X20 Missing
Summary : Hard-ass former Marines are not designed for express their feelings.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

A huge thank you to thepeachymonkey who was kind enough to beta it in the blink of an eye. You rock!

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Tony had been missing for hours now. Though they had gathered plenty of evidence and pieced together the series of events which had led to Tony's abduction, they still didn't have a clue as to where he and Atlas were being held captive.

Gibbs tried his best to hide his inner turmoil, but the complete uncertainty about the fate of his agent was driving him crazy. Moreover, seeing Timothy McGee sitting at Tony's desk only served to feed his aggravation, even if he knew the young agent from Norfolk didn't mean any harm.

The desk across his own had been Tony's since the moment Gibbs had poached him, years ago, from Baltimore Police Department. To have someone else occupying it seemed to add insult to injury.

There would be only one reason for that desk to fall to somebody else, and it was if Tony was dead. Which, until proven otherwise, he wasn't.

By the time Abby was updating them on her latest discoveries about Carol Powers, Gibbs was more than ready to tell McGee to pack up and find another accommodation. Jeez, he was even ready to tell him to take his own desk instead. But before he had a chance to do so, his cell phone rang, informing him that Sacco's car had been located, and they were rushing towards their first real lead to their missing teammate.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Under his apparent impassiveness, Gibbs felt nothing but elated as they finally came back later with Tony; filthy, smelly and a bit scratched certainly, but fortunately safe and sound.

So, when Tony urged him to admit he had been worried, he didn't see any reason not to tell him the truth. Because, to him, Tony really was irreplaceable.

Unfortunately, as soon as he caught sight of McGee standing behind Tony's desk, the reality of how close they had been to losing Tony hit him hard. He couldn't stand to see him there a minute longer, and in a knee-jerk reaction, Gibbs found himself barking at the computer expert:

"Forget it, McGee. He's still alive."

As soon as the words passed his lips, he knew it had been a huge mistake. But it was too late. The hurt and puzzlement painted all over Tony's face were a glaring evidence of his slip-up. All he could do was to try to hide his blunder under the disguise of a (very) bad joke.

In vain. The damage was done. Gibbs could see Tony's insecurities come back at full speed. He would have gladly head slapped himself for being so stupid, if he had thought it could do any good.

Yet, having been married four times should have taught him not to try to think of two things that the same time. Men's brains were not designed for multi-tasking. Neither were, apparently, hard-ass former Marines for express their feelings.

End.